Difference Between Lymphoma and Hodgkin’s lymphoma

Lymphoma vs Hodgkin’s lymphoma

Lymphoma is a blood cancer that is developed in the lymphatic system due to hematological malignancy. This type of cancer could be classified into Hodgkin’s lymphoma and non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.

Lymphoma is widely found among children from developed nations. According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, about 5% of lymphomas and less than 1% of Hodgkin’s lymphoma cancer is found in United States of all the cancers.

The cause of lymphoma is unknown. The lymph nodes swell with inflammation leading to lymphoma. This type of swelling does not cause pain to the patient. This type of cancer affects the immune system making the patients vulnerable to HIV, specific medications or even to different type of lymphoma.
An offshoot of lymphoma type of cancers, Hodgkin’s disease or Hodgkin’s lymphoma cancer originates from white blood cells called as lymphocytes. It gets its name after Thoma Hodgkin who described about lymphoma in his 1832 publication.

Hodgkin’s lymphoma spreads the disease from one lymph node group to another. This disease also develops systemic symptoms as it gets into advanced stage. The disease could be characterized with Sternberg cells (RS cells) presence on microscopic examination.
Patients diagnosed with Hodgkin’s would experience symptoms like sweating in the night, unexpected weight loss, painless lymph nodes found in the neck and shoulders, enlargement of spleen (Splenomegaly), enlargement of the liver (Hepatomegaly), pain after alcohol consumption, back pain, and red patches on the skin. The patient may also experience fever.
People from the age group of fifteen to thirty five and above fifty five are prone to get affected with Hodgkin’s. The Hodgkin’s disease development could be explained in four different stages.

• single lymph node region getting affected

• Two or more lymph node regions on the same side of the diaphragm gets affected

• lymph node regions on both sides of the diaphragm gets infected

• When reaching the final stage there would be one or more organs being involved and getting infected

In the past few decades the research and development in the Treatment of Hodgkin’s disease has evolved leaps and bounds. Hodgkin’s lymphoma was one of the first cancers which used radiation therapy and combination chemotherapy for the first time. With the advancement in type of chemotherapy the survival rate has been promising. A trial organized in Europe, shows that the survival rate of patients has increased by five percent if detected in early stage by 98% while the worse case get 85% survival rate.

Summary:
1.Lymphoma is a blood cancer that is developed in the lymphatic system due to hematological malignancy. But, Hodgkin’s lymphoma spreads the disease from one lymph node group to another.
2.Hodgkin’s lymphoma cancer originates in the white blood cells called as lymphocytes.

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